The Way
by JillVader
Summary: With her time as a human running out, Bella meets some new and old faces while living a comfortable, yet lonely life. Whitlocks, Victoria, Cuckoo Cullens, & Volturi. AU/OOC -J/B-P/C-and a cat. M for language, violence, & mature themes.
1. Chapter One

**~AN~**

**Hi-Hi, this is my first fanfic and I'm nervous and excited. I will be looking for a Beta soon, after I get my story a little more organized from my head to the **

**computer. Anyone ever notice how when you think of something in your head and it sounds like the best shit ever, yet when you think too much about it and you**

** finally put it down in words it sounds and looks like NOTHING you had in mind? Yeah…**

**Anywho, we all know Stephenie Meyer owns all rights to this story and the characters are hers, but she never said we couldn't play. :) **

**The time line is set 3 years after the big birthday events. **

**With her time as a human running out, Bella meets some new and old faces while living a comfortable, yet lonely life. Whitlocks, Victoria, Cuckoo Cullens, & **

**Volturi. AU/OOC non-cannon-J/B-P/C-and a cat.**

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><p><em>I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down. I get knocked down but-<em>

Groaning, I moved sluggishly out of my bed to the other side of my room to fetch my phone.

"What", I yawned into the receiver.

"Don't what me, I was just gonna ask if you could cover for me tonight. I have a date and since you don't have a worthy social life, you were the first person I thought of", the person sneered.

"Yeah, whatever, Jessica. What time is the shift", I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Starts at 3 and ends at 2", she claimed and hung up before I could get a word in.

"Fuckin' cunt", I muttered into the receiver.

Looking at the time on my phone's display I realized I had about 3 hours left till I had to be at the bar and cursed that ditzy bitch's lack of common courtesy. I wish she were more like the Jessica I went to high school with. Forks Jessica might've not been the brightest crayon in the box, but at least she had tact and was polite in her own way. My co-worker just happened to get on my 'I will rip your arms off and shove them down your throat' side. I'm sure we won't have a problem with gag reflexes, considering all the times she's bragged about her stellar oral skills.

Sighing to myself, I pulled my thoughts out of my head and wandered toward my bathroom to start my morning routine of pissing and brushing my teeth. Afterward, I trailed downstairs to find something for breakfast. I didn't find much that I wanted so I settled on a bowl of cereal and a small pot of coffee, making a mental note to do some shopping tomorrow.

After brewing my coffee, I took my cup and bowl of cereal over to my study to read. When I was finished eating and reading the first 4 chapters of the latest cheesy vampire love story, I grabbed some paper and a pen and began jotting down a small grocery list. I also reminded myself to call Renee and Phil, see how they're doing and if they'd like to visit. After Phil's arm became a problem for his baseball career, they decided to move back to the Phoenix area. Since Phil had a past in baseball, he decided to become a high school baseball coach, while Renee stuck with teaching elementary children, even though they didn't need the money now. I liked having them close for the time being. Soon I might have to say goodbye, although I really don't want to lose them forever.

Being bored by myself at home makes me realize why Renee always delved into different, sometimes strange activities. Life gets lonely and when I lived with her it wasn't like we could have a night out. Although she's no longer alone, I bet she's more than a little grateful that I'm of legal drinking age. Being a responsible drinker gets on her nerves sometimes but I just tell her I refuse to make a fool out of myself. I remember on one occasion while the three of us had a bit too much to drink, I forced Phil to play baseball with me. Mom said the next day while we were nursing our hangovers that I complained about not having vampire speed and strength. I had to come up with the excuse that in my mind I figure vampires had those attributes, and it would make baseball much more interesting.

Gathering my thoughts once more, I decide to test today's weather by going out my front door since it was closest. It's late September and I'd enjoy riding into work before the season cools more.

Meow

"Hmm"?

Meow

"Hey there Baba".

Meow

"Did you get your food last night"?

Meow

"Okay…wait…are those feathers stuck to your face"?

Meow

"Eww, you're not coming in till you're cleaned up".

Puurrrrr

"Suit yourself".

I walk over to the garden hose to clean Baba, with him trailing along behind me. How I ever found a cat that doesn't mind water is beyond me. I find his flea and tick shampoo in the garage after setting the hose fixture on a decent setting and begin the process of giving my little buddy a nice cleaning.

"Now mister, you're not allowed to enter the house till you're dry. I'll go ahead and feed you now so I don't forget. I won't be home till late".

Meerow

"I must be related to Dr. Doolittle", I mutter to myself, while preparing his food and water.

I look at the time and of course it's only been an hour or so since I've been called in. I go ahead and start getting ready for work, starting with another cup of coffee and then taking a nice hot shower to wake up with. After showering I go to my closet and pick out today's outfit. I decide to go simple, with a black top and a pair of dark skinny jeans, tucked into a pair of black wedged knee highs. I decide on silver drop earrings, a tiny silver stud for my nose, and a simple silver choker. For my makeup, I go for simple with a nude shade of eyeshadow, classic wingout with liquid eyeliner, a couple swishes of mascara, a hint of my favorite shade of blush, and Burt's Bee's chapstick. _Can't get enough of the tingle_. For my hair, I throw it in a low pony tail, figuring I'll mess it up with my helmet and having enough time to fix it before my shift starts. I plan on styling it in an updo with a victory roll or pin curls. I keep hair styling products at work for motorcycle days or if I simply don't have enough time. My boss doesn't mind as long as I don't fuss with it during my shift. Plus she uses my stuff every now and then anyway.

Deciding there's nothing left to do, I grab my Burt's Bees, throw it in my purse and at the last second remembered my Blackberry, throwing it in there as well. I head into my garage, put on my black leather riding jacket, along with my blood red Shoei helmet and push the bike outside. I reached into my car for the garage door remote, threw it in my purse, and tossed that in the storage compartment of my bike. Mounting, I started my sex panther and rolled out.

It's a good 30 minute ride to town in my car, but usually I get there between 20 and 25 on my bike. Luckily, speed traps are rare, so I usually gun it. But, since I have a bit of time on my hands, I take it easy and get there in 20. Getting into town I decide on the Japanese restaurant for lunch. It's been a while since I've had their sushi and miso soup combo and the more I thought about it, the more I craved it. Amazingly, it's across the street from the bar so I just park in our lot and walk over. I park in The Bottle & Glass lot in the front so I can keep an eye out for my baby, take off my helmet, while getting the typical stare down, retrieve my purse from it's confines, and head inside to check in, toting along my belongings.

There are only 6 people sitting at the bar, 4 people at a pool table, and a few seated tables when I enter. I get a chorus of "Hey Bella", from a couple regulars and fellow employees. I see Mel, my boss, poking her head out of the office, eyeing me with a small knowing smirk and a roll of her eyes as she waves me over with a chuckle. I smile and wave back at everyone, feeling a slight blush creeping up my cheeks from the attention.

"So I'm guessin' Jessica called you in again, huh", Melanie muses, shaking her head with a slight grimace, "3rd time this month. I dunno what I'm gonna do with that girl. She's a good worker when she decides to show up, but I'm gonna have to cut back her schedule".

Assuming she's mostly talking to herself, I reply with a nod, knowing there's not much I can say about it.

"By the way, I'm just gonna put you on the bar tonight since that's what your job is, that way you can get off early, and I'll take over at midnight. It shouldn't be bad tonight, we have a new girl trainin' for a few hours on the floor this evening, by the way", she stated.

"Great", I replied, "what's she like? What's her name"?

"Amanda. She's never worked in this kinda environment, but she's in great shape and steady on her feet, so I think she'll be just fine. I'll just give her a 2 table section for the night," she rushed out.

"Alright, can't wait to meet her", I grinned, "Well hey, I need to fix my hair. Should only take 10 or 15 minutes. Also, I'm gonna grab some lunch across the street, want something"?

"Yeah, some California Rolls are okay. Make sure there's none of that orange caviar stuff though. Gets stuck in my teeth and we can't be havin' that", she requested with a playful grimace.

I look at the time and see I have around an hour left, I set my helmet on my assigned shelf space, and began the quick process of fixing my hair in the planned "do" I thought of earlier. After setting my hair in a low straight pony tail with a victory roll duo, I put my stuff away, grabbed my purse, and headed out for lunch.

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><p><strong>JASPER<strong>

3 years since my life has changed irrevocably. I found out my so called brother and ex had completely mind fucked the whole family. I've been banished from the Cullens, and nearly 3 years ago I came home to live with my true family. Of course I've been guilt ridden and full of self-disgust, but since we've moved here to Denver the beginning of this year, I've been feeling a lot better. My brother and sister have been giving me space and time and have been very understandin' and supportive of my behavior. We've all known the money-grubbin' psycho pixie was never my mate, but more of a companion. The Cullens of course didn't understand the nature of the relationship, but never questioned the circumstances until I cut ties with her. I told them the truth; I felt comfortable with Alice and we were with each other out of convenience and obligation.

Alice whined and begged me to stay in a relationship with her, going into a rage because 'someone ruined her life'; but after being assured by Edward that things always work themselves out, she reluctantly let me go. The wonder duo decided it was best if I were to leave cause I no longer held a place in their family. The Cullens were easily manipulated by those two and I lost the respect I once had for Carlisle and Esme. I hid in Forks for 2 months after I severed all ties to keep an eye on Bella while she went through a myriad of emotions. For the first couple of weeks, she was on a nonstop cycle of worthlessness, self-loathin', with an undercurrent of humility. She'd cry herself to sleep on many nights while I was sitting outside her window, tryin' to calm her. Finally she entered a dark, numb transition and the only time her emotions truly showed, was when she'd be asleep. During that time if you saw her, you would noticed she lost the sparkle in her eyes she once had. That lasted for 3 weeks until Bella finally cracked out of the numb shell and gradually she became furious. I remember having shivers from some things that happened. I'd find her tearin' up her bedroom in fits, and screamin' nonsensical phrases about rippin' Eddie boy to pieces and burnin' the impotent son of a bitch's important body parts, or sometimes just starin', without blinkin', through her bedroom window, stewin' in silent fury for hours.

I stayed until the wolves got involved and told me I overstayed my welcome and requested I leave since the rest of the Cullens were gone, and that since I wasn't an original part of the treaty, they had every right to destroy me. After a small scuffle, I taught them who the fuck I was but explained that there was a potential threat to Bella with her knowledge of the vampire world; she'd either be turned or killed if the royal coven or any cruel vampires were to find out. I also explained the possibility of a certain red-haired vampire who may seek revenge against Bella, including the Phoenix incident this past spring. I reluctantly agreed to let them keep an eye out for Bella's safety. Before leavin', I left a letter for her, remindin' her that she would always be important to me and that she was 'worth it', and an anonymous donation to her college fund with a sum of $500,000. I also left her with contact info to Jenks if she were to ever need anything.

"Hey brother".

"Hey, yourself, boy", I replied back.

"You know I'm more man than you'll ever be".

"Yeah, keep dreamin', fucker", I laughed out, "What's new"?

"Well", the smug bastard replied, "I'd like to take you and wifey about 30 minutes away to a place I heard about ".

"Another one of those feelin's", I asked.

"Yulp, git yer ass in gear Major, we're gonna have a helluva night", he barked out.

"Is that an order", I growled back, feelin' his emotions, "ya wouldn't wanna see the Major come out now do ya".

Stepping back in a submissive stance with a laugh he replied with, "Oh yeah, and Major"?

"Yeah, Peter", I sighed, feeling his mischievousness.

"She's a real doll".

Huh?

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><p>A bit short but I'm adding more chapters today!<p>

Thanks for reading, please review!


	2. Chapter Two

**The format is all messed up. I'll get the hang of it eventually.**

**Stephenie Meyer owns, I just like to pretend.**

**In the mean time...**

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><p><strong>Bella<strong>

Work so far tonight has been pretty good. It was steady the first few hours, and then there was a boom. I was excited knowing it was going to be one of those nights where I made more than $150. That's impressive for a Wednesday. Meeting Amanda, who prefers Mandy, was a real surprise. She seemed very timid but had quick wit to her and got along easily with the staff. I gave her encouraging words of advice, considering I was in her shoes 2 years ago. I remember my first day jitters, and I can admit to myself that I was just like her, and told her as much. I went as far as admitting I was so nervous carrying drinks that I was lobster red and couldn't stop stuttering, and frequently tripped over air. I suggested to her if she got that bad tonight, I'd step in and assist. Of course she asked how I got to my position as bar manager and I replied that even though I like to be goofy and have a good time, I was diligent, polite, worked hard, and built a no-nonsense confident exterior through several hours of public speaking classes, along with mixed martial arts.

Around 9:30 the place was booming and becoming packed. There was a familiar buzz in the air that made me inwardly cringe and I started to become slightly paranoid because my mortal clock was ticking. However, that didn't prevent me from slinging drinks and cutting up with the bar patrons and staff members.

"Joshy", I yelled through the bar area pandemonium, "Come get your drinks"!

"Belly, I'm right on it, I'm dying here", he whined back.

He was whining for a reason. Some jock asshole's entire 4 some was probably gonna jip him on tip money and they've been running him around like a 3 year old on a sugar trip. It was probably because they were homophobes and wanted to give him a hard time.

Hearing Joshy's tap on the server's stand, I rushed his completed order to him.

"Alright, 4 Jager-bombs and a pitcher of Left Hand Sawtooth".

Nodding his consent, he took the tray of drinks and headed toward his table.

Sometime later and a hundred something drinks cleared, a keg change, and a constant ring of shouting, I breathed a sigh of relief that people were starting to slow down and the large parties were clearing out. My regulars sitting at the bar were good and sloshed. I decided to do some much-needed wipe-downs from small spills.

"Hey, Bella" ?

I looked up and smiled at the person requesting me.

"Hey, Mandy", I replied, "How's the floor other than the table of dumb asses you got"?

"Oh, uh, everything's fine", she hesitated.

I raised an eyebrow and gave her a knowing look. I've been watching the cretins since they've gotten here and I didn't like how one in particular became grabby.

"Well, I just got this new table and they asked what you recommended. They're right over there," she explained and ignored all at the same time.

Looking between a man and woman at the end of the bar I spotted a table of three looking at me expectantly. While one face was familiar and smiling with sparkling eyes, the other 2 people weren't. The male had short military style brown hair and held an air of smugness. Although incredibly handsome, his face was full blown with what I assume is his patented shit-eating grin. The petite woman at his side had platinum blond hair that was pencil straight to her shoulders and appeared to have a Marilyn coke-bottle body shape, while her face was youthful with a breathtaking smile. All three were inhumanly beautiful with muddy brown eyes, which I knew were contacts to hide their crimson shade. I smiled widely at the trio and winked, knowing what to serve them.

I prepared 3 special shots and 6 shots of Patron tequila to wash their first drinks away with and called Mandy back. When she returned to their table they eyed the red drinks speculatively until realization came to the blond woman's face as she full out laughed. The 2 men looked at her as if she went mad. She must've said something low enough for them to hear cause in less than half a second later the 3 straight out laughed cheerfully in my direction and toasted me, drinking their shots of Bloody Mary's down, grimacing and shooting me playful scowls. Of course they chased them down with a shot of tequila each, looking a bit better for it. 5 minutes later, Mandy came back over asking if they were allowed to buy a bottle of Patron to share and I cleared that by telling her most of our regulars have done the same and it was perfectly fine to put in the order.

I pulled 3 frozen tumblers from my freezer, replaced them with clean ones from the shelf, set the frozen 3 on a tray, along with a brand new bottle of Patron and decided to wipe that shit-eating grin off that smug fucker's face. Feeling curious out of nowhere, I looked out to the person and gave him a wink, knowing he felt my mischief. I asked for his 2 friends names and he mouthed their names to me. I spotted Joshy coming over and asked him to man the bar for 2 minutes and whispered in his ear to be prepared to ring the bell. I looked at Mandy and told her to be prepared. When she looked at me confused I handed her the tray and had her lead the way. When we came up to the table I spotted the male giving who I assume is his mate, lust-filled gazes with hooded eyes, and I became appreciative that my old friend was playing along with what I had up my sleeves. I allowed Mandy room to make her drink placements and to grab the used items, smiled at the brown haired man, and gave Joshy the signal. As soon as the bell started ringing I felt my smile grow wider at the look of pure horror on Smuggy's face. All the employees and regulars started singing and harmonizing to:

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

WHAT'S THE NAME?(_The crowd exclaimed_)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR PETER!(_I sang purposely annoyingly loud and off keyed)_

PETER!(_The crowd cheered_)

Happy Birthday to you!

It all ended with cheers and laughter while I smiled my patented innocent, evil smile at Peter while he gulped at the look on my face, while the other 2 couldn't contain their laughter.

"Listen here Petey", I started, with a sickly sweet tone I perfected with a certain friend of mine, "I saw that look on your face, you know, that dopey shit-eating grin that you just can't seem to contain. I know what that means though. If you're up to no good here I will guaran-fuckin-tee Charlotte will be on my side."

I winked at Charlotte's face, which was looking like the cat that caught the canary, and looked at the person I knew longest out of the 3, who was giving me the most smoldering panty melting look I've ever seen.

"Hi Jasper", I smiled sheepishly, "I, uh, get off after midnight, sit tight"?

All I got from him was darkening eyes and an agonizingly sexy smirk. I turned around and fled to the bar with flushed cheeks, where I remained for the remainder of my shift.

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><p><strong>JASPER<strong>

Watching Bella's retreating form, seeing the open expanse of her back, I realized I had to once again readjust myself for the second time tonight. My thoughts returned to a few hours ago when we approached the bar.

"The Bottle & Glass", I mused to no one, "Looks like a hot spot".

The bouncer at the door eyed us warily, no doubt sensing our danger. At this point I became a little uncomfortable under his speculating eyes, while Peter was being his typical smug self. Fucker. I began sending waves of calm and trust to the muscular human and watched as his rigid posture relaxed. "Alright you three, come on in," his bass voice boomed.

"Didn't that guy remind you of what's his face on the movie The Green Mile", Peter excitedly exclaimed, "I couldn't help it, boss. I tried to take it back, but it was too late."

SMACK!

"Dammit! What the hell"?

"Peter, you remember last time you started quotin' movies", Char growled, "If you start that tirade again, I'll make it 2 months"!

"Come on darlin' ", he pleaded huskily; "I'll do that thing you like".

Rollin' my eyes at their odd banter I found the first table I saw available that was luckily close to the entrance. I noticed how packed the place seemed to be for a Wednesday. It was filled with college youth and middle-aged adults. The older people were at the bar, pourin' over the current televised sport, while the kids were scattered in various groups throughout. Some were in the back surroundin' the 3 pool tables and dartboards, and giddy inebriated college girls were singin' some song about "Girl Power". I noted that many of the tables were filled with a mixed crowd.

The décor had an open, industrial feel to it with 25 ft ceilings, exposed support beams and air vents. The walls that weren't painted black, were brick. All throughout the place were wall mounted flat-screens showing sports, music videos, or something random. Finally, a vintage style juke-box caught my eye. It was a nicely renovated space and I enjoyed the laid back, open feeling of it all.

A couple tables down from us were a small group of young mouthy punks that were givin' a young lady a hard time, being ass grabby. POTENTIAL SNACKS, my inner beast snarled. I eyed Char and Peter and they were putting off the same vibes. We gave each other knowing smirks and agreed silently to keep an eye out. Other than that group, the emotions coming off everyone else seemed to put my mood in high spirits. Usually when going to a bar the only emotions I'd feel for the most part would be dark. Tonight however all I could feel from these customers were joviality, excitement, of course some lust. This truly was a remarkable hang-out place, even for me.

A rush of exasperation hit me and looked to see the same girl that was being harassed coming toward us. Coming this way, she left behind her overwhelmed emotions, while building up a dose of relief. With a timid smile she greeted her self and took our orders and left.

Taking in my surroundings once more, I noticed some beautiful photography hanging on the walls. The photo on the wall next to our table instantly became one of my favorites. While I could tell it was in the forest, the focus was on a rocky creek bed where water was cascading and trickling down the rocks. I closed my eyes and imagined myself there, listening and smelling all the different sensations. That was until I was brought out of my thoughts with Peter shoving my drink under my nose.

"Where'd ya go there, Major", he pried.

I cut him off with a low growl for interrupting my moment of peace. Throwing up his hands in a submissive pose, I shot him a satisfied smirk and gulped my shot back. I pointed out the picture hanging and took in their emotions of awe and tranquility.  
>A feeling Peter rarely feels.<p>

"I wonder who the artist is, whoever it is has a keen eye and is very talented", I admired.

Spotting the artist's name in the bottom corner, Char read aloud, "Image by B.W.".

Suddenly being bombarded with shock and glee, knowing he was up to something, I shot Peter a glare. I looked back over to the artist's name and a silver glint reflected off the initials. Looking around to find whatever that was, I finally took note of the thinning bar. I knew it wasn't a camera because it wasn't bright enough. Going over each person and back again, I had to do a triple-take when I saw her. There was Isabella Swan behind the bar shouting at people and moving with practiced skill and grace she didn't have before, going from one task to another at human high speed. I took in her appearance and saw the slight sheen of sweat on her face and her small flush from exertion, and not a hair outta place. She had a small silver stud in her nose and through that examination I determined that was the small glint I saw reflected moments before. Her hair was the same color but completely different yet it suited her perfectly. The end of her ponytail hung down her mid back. Although she's never needed it, she had on a touch of makeup. She looked elegant, matured, wiser, and breathtakingly beautiful as she smiled to herself. I began to squirm in my seat to adjust myself.

Snapping out of my dazed stupor, I looked to Charlotte who was consoling a pouty looking Peter.

"I can't wait to meet our new friend, Major", Char laughed, "She's different and I have a good feeling she's gonna help us keep our Peter in check".

Nuzzling his petulant face into Char's hair, picking up his glass of tequila and downing the contents, I could see the wheels turning in his head, trying to come up with a way to redeem him self. Pulling myself out of my thoughts I peered at Bella, she looked up at me from the bar and gave me a small wave and smile. I agree with Charlotte.

I can't wait to meet the new Bella.

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><p>Thank you and please review.<p> 


	3. Chapter Three

S.M. owns. We love to play.  
>I suppose I should go ahead and write in a disclaimer:<p>

Warning: Rated M. This story contains vulgar language and sometimes insulting remarks and behavior. I haven't decided how crazy I'll get with the lemons but who knows?

BPOV

"Spill Belly, who is that hot piece of man candy that can't keep his eyes off of you", Joshy eagerly barked.

Personally, I was confused and thrilled about his lingering glances.

"Oh, he's an old friend", I explained with a shrug, "I dated his brother in high school".

"OMIGOD", he exclaimed, "He has siblings"!

"For one Joshy, it was his adopted brother", I pointed out, "Secondly, his brother is a self-righteous prick. I would never introduce you to that conniving ass hat. The other brother married his long time sweetheart years ago. Peter over there as you can tell is all over his woman. Fortunately, she'd probably be eager if you went over there and hit on him, just to emasculate him some more".

Laughing, he gave me a tight hug and stated that it was worth a shot, and wished me a good night.

I looked at the time and was surprised to see it was almost midnight. The bar was slow now with only 3 tables taken and I only had 6 people up front with me that were slowing down their intake. I began wiping down the rest of my area just for something to do. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mel walking toward me.

"Alright, chick", she said, "we had an awesome night. I'm gonna go ahead and let you off. Thanks for coming in tonight. Why don't you go ahead and take the rest of the weekend off and come in Tuesday night. As your boss, I'm telling you that you're not allowed to cover anymore shifts, as your friend, I'm gonna suggest that you tell whoever calls to get you to cover shifts, you're simply on vacation".

"No problem. Hey Mel", I hesitated, "Is it alright if I sat with my friends for a few minutes? I swear, we won't stay long…"

"Woah, woah sugar," she cut me off with a soft look, "I'm happy you have some friends coming in here. Everyone else does it and I'm happy to see you finally doing it for the first time. Gimme a hug and quit poutin' ".

She gave me a warm hug while I tried to hide my heated face, "Even though you're leavin' us in a couple months, I want you to know that you'll always be important to me. Now get over there, shoo"!

I remember similar words from someone else here and I nearly choked with in emotion.

I clocked out and retrieved my items from the office and headed over in Jasper's direction. On my way said my goodbyes to everyone, the last person being Mandy. She eagerly told me to thank my friends, stating they gave her a tip that was much too generous.

I approached the table excitedly, my nerves beginning to announce themselves. It had been so long since I'd seen Jasper but I could automatically tell he was comfortable in his new life. As I sat my things on an empty chair, I noticed Jasper's raised eyebrow at my jacket and helmet, and rolled my eyes at his look of incredulity. Before I could sit down, he stood up and pulled me into a tight hug that I immediately melted into. I took in his rich honey scent and felt him do that same in my hair and was instantly calmed. His cool body pressed against mine sent shivers of pleasure radiating through me. We held each other for another moment, rocking back and forth before letting go.

Looking up to his tall form and him down into my eyes, I couldn't stop my eyes from watering and I could tell his eyes were doing the same from so much emotion.

"It's great to see you, Jasper".

"I missed you too, Bella", he whispered back.

The clearing of a throat snapped me back to reality. Smiling sheepishly back at our company, we introduced ourselves to each other and I sat comfortably next to Jasper who's arm was wrapped around me protectively.

"So this is the elusive, Bella Swan Wifey and I heard so much about", Peter announced with a smile.

"Well, see, yes but not quite".

I looked at Jasper, laughing and biting my lip nervously. He gave me a curious encouraging nod and started rubbing soothing circles on my shoulder, sensing my hesitancy. Rubbing my palm into my forehead, I cleared my throat and looked at the three and continued loud enough so only they could hear.

"I uh, changed my last name a little over 2 ½ years ago before I moved here. See there's a lot you guys don't know and I have a feeling we'll be going over these things over the weekend. I was told through a contact that my future disappeared from Alice's visions. It only made sense at the time to utilize that information to my advantage. Jasper, you gave me resources to restart my life and with that, Mr. Jenks and I started the process of changing my identity. I'm speaking in hushed tones because nobody here knows me and I've been kept hidden with the help of many people. Before you guys freak out, I need to finish what I was saying".

I looked at their frowning faces and felt Jasper's arm loosen its tightening hold.

Taking a deep breath I continued.

"I made it a point to choose my last name based on my observation of Rosalie during a time I was visiting the Cullen household when everyone was back in Forks. I heard her yelling at you, using your given name, Jasper Whitlock. At the moment I filed the information away for a later time, but didn't think about it until we were coming up with last names. I figured the Cullen family and other people wouldn't put together that I knew that information. I'm going to go ahead and state for the record that I don't even know Emmett's last name so I couldn't use that. Everyone just thought I knew 'Cullen' and 'Hale'...But that's beside the point. When choosing last names, I had a very hard time doing so because I would've been easy to track. All I could think of at the moment were my favorite authors, actors, characters, and distant relatives. That was until I remembered Rosalie yelling your name. So here I am, nice to meet you, I'm Bella Whitlock".

I closed my eyes, to catch my breath and when I opened them back up, I focused on Jasper first. He was giving me another one of those intense looks that made my insides turn to mush. I once again felt my blush coming back and quickly looked away. Char, as she told me to call her, was giving me a proud smile, and Peter…well lets gust say Peter was giving the Cheshire cat a run for his money.

"Well I'll be damned," he declared, "I knew I was gonna have a helluva time tonight".

We laughed lightheartedly until we fell into a comfortable silence. Jasper was still rubbing my shoulder, his hand moving closer and closer to my bare skin. My heart skipped a beat when his cold fingers skimmed the opening of my shirt. I felt his eyes boring into me and I turned to look at him, giving him a smirk.

"So", I stated, "while this has been pleasant, if you're all not too busy, would you like to follow me home? It's a little more comfortable there, and well, I've been here since 3".

I got a chorus of 3 eager yes's so we started to get up to leave. I put on my jacket and grabbed my other things, and moved to the door, feeling Jasper's hand on the small of my , Tony the bouncer looked at me, looked at my group, and back again. I told him they were with me just to ease his mind.

Coming upon my bike, I heard someone let out a low whistle.

"Wow darlin' nice," Jasper purred, "I wish we had brought our bikes".

"Oh? What do you guys ride?" I asked.

"Well," he responded, "I have an MV Agusta F4 Tamburini in black, Peter has the same but in silver, and Char has a Kawasaki ZZR 1400 in silver."

"Huh, our colors match", I grinned.

"What is this anyway, I don't see any emblems." He asked.

"It's a Hayabusa. I've never really liked emblems or stickers. After tons of searching, I settled for carbon fiber fairings. If you notice, the other aftermarket parts are also carbon fiber."

"We'll have to race sometime." Peter challenged.

"You do know that my bike is a 1999 model." I scoffed, "Add to the fact that it has no govern, it's also been tuned by a mechanic that specializes in bikes. We reached 206 mph at the Texas mile this past spring".

"I find it hard to believe you did the Texas mile, sugar." he teased.

"Why, because I'm human or are you being sexist?" I defended while crossing my arms. I noticed Charlotte taking on the same stance with an eyebrow raised.

Making a submissive gesture he backed up while I smirked evily when he saw his mate was on my side. Jasper was watching everything trying not to laugh.

"It's okay Petey," I eased, "I'm just teasing you. As a matter of fact, I didn't challenge anyone. It was test runs. I was already accustomed to the speed, but after the performance enhancements, I just wanted to see how fast I could go without freaking out."

"So it can only go that fast?" he asked confused.

"No, that was how fast I felt comfortable at." I corrected, "I don't race anyway. I actually like not having broken bones. Maybe I'll let you take it out sometime."

He instantly looked like a kid in a candy store.

"So, how are we gonna do this. Did you drive a car or use other means", I asked everyone after letting my hair down and wrapped it in a new ponytail.

"We ran".

"Okay, how about this. I'll just point you in the direction I'm going and you follow. I'm sure you guys can use your brains to figure out the rest. Oh yeah, no trying to scare me. I _will_ freak out thinking it's an animal and wreck. I'm not ready to look and feel different."

(AN: Before you ask why no one rides bitch with Bella, Hayabusa bikes have a hump like cover to the compartment area behind the driver seat for aerodynamic purposes. A passenger seat is available, but since she's solo, there was no need to buy one.)

Feeling as though they got the point, I shut my mouth before I said too much. I put my things away in the bike's compartment, while grabbing a pair of leather riding gloves for the chill. After getting everything sorted I put my helmet and gloves on, mounted, and started the bike. After Peter's groveling to the motorcycle, which he earned a smack from Char, and Jasper's sexy smirk, I pointed out which way I was going, got 3 nods, and took off. I decided to stick to the speed limit just in case while going through town. Through my side mirrors, I saw the telltale blurs of my friends keeping up with me on the rooftops and decided to pick up my speed from 35 to 40.

Fortunately, I didn't hit any red lights on my way out of town and was on the 2-lane highway in no-time. I picked up my speed to 55mph when I got out of city limits. I looked to my left and Jasper was right next to me. To my right were Char and Peter. Knowing they could all hear me I told them I live 35 miles away but I'd cut the time. I accelerated with a delighted laugh. I loved the sound when the turbo picks up and the exhaust roars. On straight stretches I went 145, sometimes 180, and on the curves went about 60, so I wasn't surprised when we reached the limestone walls that signature the entrance tof my driveway around 20 minutes later. The first mile comprises of the same limestone walls on both sides of a winding road, ending with the last 2 miles which is straight and treelined on both sides.

I parked in front of my garage and dismounted, while thanking my lucky stars I invested thousands in outdoor solar lighting. Other wise I'd be blind and fumbling.

"Home sweet home", I declared after taking off my helmet.

"Wow, just wow," Charlotte breathed while looking around in awe.

Hearing murmurs in agreement, I began to dig out my purse from its confines and couldn't help but feel a little too satisfied at their amazement.

"You guys haven't seen anything yet, just wait till we get inside", I exclaimed excitedly.

Hearing Jasper's laugh I turned to look at him with a grin.

"Your emotions are just so joyous I can't contain myself", he said.

Instantly we were all smiling brightly and giggling. We ended up laughing at Peter's petulant gaze when Jasper called him out for his girly giggles.

"You were giggling too man," he pouted.

"Yeah, but you sounded like Mozart from the movie Amadeus", I teased.

Once again he started the crazy giggling while the rest of us laughed at his expense.

Letting out a low growl when the giggling stopped, Peter began to stalk Jasper, looking to attack.

"If you guys wrestle and fuck up my lawn, the blow torch is coming out," I scolded.

"Well that shut them up," Char stated.

"Now, that I have your attention, if you fight in or around my house, it's gonna be on like Donkey Kong." I growled out, "If you feel the need to, go to the woods. Some places are marked as trails or a scenic area. If you fuck up these sights, I'll have your head staked for the birds to pick at."

"Birds won't come near us," Peter scoffed.

"Would you like to find out Petey," I said in the sickly sweet tone I used earlier.

When he began mumbling and pouting, I searched out my garage door opener and pressed the button to open it. Baba came trotting out to greet us through the 'doggy door'.

"Hey buddy", I soothed.

Meow

"Uh, Bella, you have a cat?" Jasper asked in a confused tone.

"That's a big cat", Peter pointed out.

With a huff and roll of my eyes I gave introductions.

"Well everyone, this is Baba O'Riley, or just Baba for short. He's big because he's a Maine Coon. Renee and I rescued him from a breeder outside of Phoenix last year and he's been with me ever since. I spoil him rotten and you'll quickly find out I don't own him, he owns me."

I squatted and scratched him behind his ear, while he let out a great purr. I stood up and continued while he took a sniff in Char's direction and moved slowly to her. She just had an amazed expression on her face.

"You don't have to worry. As you see he's not exactly shying away. He's weird with strangers but he's never been around vampires so I assume he's studying. Took a couple hours for him to get used to me but he was living in a kennel before he came home with me. He's highly intelligent and uses the outdoors for waste since he's out there all the time. He hunts rodents, bugs, and birds and doesn't mind water. You think he's big now Pete? You should have seen him when I first got him. His hair was extra long and fluffy. I like to keep his hair shorter so it's not matted, since he's outside 90% of the time."

"How old is he", asked Char.

"He's 5", I answered.

"He looks like the cat from Harry Potter", Peter exclaimed.

"Actually Mrs. Norris is in fact a Maine Coon", I pointed out happily.

After studying the three new scents long enough, Baba ran off to do his nightly duties.

"Holy Shit! You have a 64 Mustang convertible. It's in impeccable shape", Peter.

"Took you long enough to notice", I sighed dramatically, "Look, you can mess around with the car later. My feet are aching for hot water."

Peter just nodded absentmindedly and stroked the exterior, while Charlotte laughed with a roll of her eyes.

"Here darlin', let me help with that", Jasper offered, much to my relief.

"Thanks, I appreciate it", I said with a sigh.

He gave me a small smile and said, "I know".

After he wheeled in the motorcycle I finally asked if we should go through the garage door or main entrance for a dramatic effect. It was agreed that we'd go through the garage door after I told them we'd end up in the foyer anyway. I had to explain to Peter after he questioned why I asked in the first place in which I responded with, "After spending enough time here with only Baba as a roommate, I've grown accustomed to talking to myself out loud."

With a shrug of his shoulders, he gave my car one last caress with a longing sigh. I placed my helmet on the seat of my motorcycle, and hung my jacket on an empty hook on the wall.

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><p>Thanks! You know what to do.<p> 


	4. Chapter Four

**Thanks for the lovely reviews! I'm going to be uploading some pictures on my profile of Bella's house, inspirations for her property, her Hayabusa, and maybe a few other things.**

**This chapter has Jasper's background in it. It's different from what is normally explained, but it's not overly extravagant. It's just a back story, like why he joined so young, or who was his family, what happened with Maria, stuff like that. I hope you like the changes.**

**By the way, who should I thank for making Jasper's demon crazy, crazy, and Peter's uncanny ability to just know shit? I believe it was idreamofeddy. I really wish I could have read, (was it Colliding Meteors) when I had the chance but I can't find it anywhere. My inspiration comes from not only that author's ideas, but also from a mix of DarkNnerdy, givemesomevamp, Hammerhips, JamesRamsay, mynxi, MaitresseSaint, Mortissues, Mama4Dukes, heavyinfinity, and many others who wrote ever so addicting Jasper/Bella based Twilight fanfiction. Thanks for being such fantastical writers for us little people, and giving alternate universes where we all want to throw our cum soaked panties at Jasper, choke on flaming hot Cheetos because Eddie-boy's spermal expulsions, or where bright-eyed fluffy bunnies merrily eat the fetuses of their young.  
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**Uh, this story is rated M for my sometimes uncontrollable mental filter...  
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**S.M. owns, but this is just our playground.**

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><p><strong>Jasper<strong>

I just couldn't keep my eyes off of her. Her improvement from the last time I saw her has left me utterly dumbfounded. Not just physically speaking, though of course she is stunning, but her emotions felt so good. I could bath in her emotions. And her scent! Her scent has always been sensual to me. Magnolias and sunshine like a warm spring afternoon in Texas.

"You guys ready to go in"?

God, what's wrong with me. Here I am drooling all over her feet.

"Major, you all right", Peter asked.

"Oh, huh", I stammered, "Yeah, I'm coming."

He shook his head, chuckling, and grabbed Char's hand while she followed Bella, who was leading the way. I followed last through the door, and shut it behind me. After walking down a couple of steps, the first thing to catch my eyes was the rustic wood and steel accents, along with the rich, earthy colors. It was very relaxing and I knew Bella felt comfortable and at ease here.

"Wow, sugar, you've got sharp taste. I'll admit that I'm a little envious. We're so used to living in the city in condos. I'm missing out on the country living", Char murmured.

Bella grinned proudly and thanked her.

"I love living here, even if it gets a little lonely. There's always something to do outdoors", Bella commented, "But if nobody minds, I'm gonna go clean off this work funk. You're free to look around, anything, you want".

"You mind if I join ya sweet thang", Peter so crudely asked.

I let out a low growl, while Char gave Pete a smack in the back of his head.

"Ouch, woman! What the fuck?"

"Actually Peter, there's room for all of us and more", Bella said with a saucy wink, shocking the shit out of me. With that she went off, shaking her hips seductively, feelings of amusement in her emotional aura.

"I don't think so Peter, get back here," Char yelled.

"Oh come on Wifey, that was a clear invite," he responded, pouting his lips…until he saw Char's raised eyebrow.

"Oh, Maaaajor", Peter taunted, "Don't think I missed that little growl."

I furrowed my brow, slightly confused about my actions. I was just protecting her, but from what? Oh hell, I'm possessive and she's not even my girl yet. _Yet?_

"Right now's not the time to talk about this Captain", I barked.

"Uh-uh, Jay, that was a jealous and possessive growl", Char stated, "What's up with you tonight? You seem pretty distracted".

She was staring at me with pursed lips, while Pete was snickering. She gave him a nudge in the ribs to shut him up, just as he opened his mouth.

"Yeah we need to discuss this later", she mused with a little smile, "Let's look around."

Peter gave me a little smack on the back, throwing off waves of pride at me. I looked at him wondering what he knows and rolled my eyes. _The fucker always knows something_. I decided to question him later. He gave me a nod of confirmation.

While looking around, I took note of the few pictures she had of her family, and wondered how often she got to see her parents. As far as I knew, her dad is in Washington and her mother and step-father are living in Florida. There were also some photographs of scenic views of the Colorado area, some of Arizona, and one of her father's house. They were all signed by her so I assume she is the artist.

Up the stairs was her study, which was slightly cluttered with a variety of books and papers. She had everything from Jane Austen to George R.R. Martin. There were also some historical pieces I might look at later. I saw an opened book sitting on a chair and laughed when I saw she was reading a cheesy vampire romance. There was a patio door off the side of the stair landing that went outside. It appeared that there was a hot tub, grill, outdoor fire pit, and some lounge chairs. Baba O' Riley was out there on a rail, licking his nether-regions.

Upstairs her scent was more heavily concentrated and judging the sound of the shower, her calm heartbeat, and contented, yet giddy emotions, she was up here. _Maybe she'll let me see her bedroom_. I shook my head, and sighed.

Her scent trail led to a closed door. Instead of going in, we went the other direction and saw a guest bedroom and a small empty loft. Back in the hall was a small bathroom. We went all the way downstairs where there was a home-theater set up with an oversized flat-screen and a bunch of surround speakers. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms made up the rest of the area.

While Peter and Char stayed downstairs to mess with the T.V. gadgets, I snuck to the patio outside of her study. It was quite peaceful out here. I was amazed at the amount of privacy and nature. I could hear a creek in the vicinity and a garden waterfall. The area surrounding the house focused on rock gardens and floral bushes. She must have paid quite a bunch for her landscaping, or she had a lot of time on her hands.

The cat looked at me and made a sound that sounded like a snort. He twitched his tail and ran off in the night. In the distance, I watched as he climbed a tree and perched on a branch, scratching at the bark. Cats are odd creatures.

I heard padding coming down the stairs in the house, along with a heartbeat. A moment later, the door opened up and Bella's scent surrounded me. My pants tightened again and I wondered how often I would get this reaction to her. She put her warm hand on my arm and I delighted in the tingles her touch gave me. I was disappointed when she removed it but relieved when she stood next to me, leaning on the railing.

"You feel better?" I asked.

"Yeah, work exhausts me if it's busy. Add in the excitement from seeing you and meeting Peter and Charlotte, I'm pretty sure I'll sleep well. Where'd they go anyway?"

"Downstairs defiling your couch," I responded with a wink.

She tried to shove me but huffed when she realized I wouldn't budge. "Jerk."

I picked her up and threw her on my shoulder and laughed when she started hitting me with her fists. "Calm down darlin', I don't want you hurtin' yourself."

She was exasperated, yet amused as I let her down.

"That wasn't funny mister."

"Yeah it was, you can't lie to me", I responded.

"Alright," she admitted, "It was a little funny."

I was about to speak again when her stomach growled, interrupting our little banter.

"Come on, let's get back in. We can go downstairs and watch T.V.", she said.

I followed her inside, watching her fluid gait, and the wiggle of her hips. She took a Tupperware bowl out of her refrigerator and transferred the smelly concoction into a dish she retrieved from the cabinet. While she was stirring, she saw me looking at her with probably a disgusted look on my face. She giggled and said, "It's chili. I got the recipe from my mom. It's one of the only things she can cook without me wanting to retch after eating."

I had to laugh at that, I remember stories she shared with The Cullens about her mother's eccentricity, like the time she caught Renee smoking weed, naked in the middle of the sunroom of their house in Phoenix. It was broad daylight and they had neighbors that probably tried to look in. Her mother admonished her for being too uptight and proceeded to tell her if she ever wanted to try marijuana, come to her.

"How is she by the way", I questioned while she put her food in the microwave.

Bella went on to tell me her mom and step-dad moved back to the Phoenix area recently and oftheir current teaching careers. "I actually need to call them. My mom was talking about visiting and I need to set up a timeline between work and everything." I could tell from her emotions she was leaving something out, but decided not to push her.

"And your father? How is he?"

"Oh, Charlie? Well let's just say that he's in the prime of his life right now. He got involved with a woman a couple years ago and they're currently traveling. I'm very happy for him," she said fondly. Again, there was a small sliver of deceit and I raised my brow at her, but did not question.

"Later, Jasper."

I nodded my head in her direction, and decided that the way she said my name was one of my new favorite sounds.

We eventually made it downstairs with her foul smelling food. I saw Char and Pete crinkle their noses in disgust as we approached.

"Anything good on," Bella asked between mouthfuls.

"Nah, not unless you wanna watch infomercials", Pete said. "We're just sitting here talking about going for a hunt in Denver. That way the two of you can catch up. We can meet sometime tomorrow, if you'd like? Major?"

We were all watching her eat her vile food.

"Yeah, that sounds good to me, what about you darlin'."

When she looked up, she saw us staring at her. She had food on the corner of her mouth that she licked off, making me a little hard again when I saw her pink tongue. She rolled her eyes and huffed something about 'Stupid vampires act like they've never seen anyone eat'.

"Yeah guys that sounds cool. I'm not expected to be anywhere, so come over anytime".

Char was oohing and awing to Bella about her home and property. She took it, but was a tiny bit embarrassed at the compliments.

After our goodbyes, the two of us were alone.

"So", we said at the same time.

**BELLA**

It was amazing to see Jasper again. He looks a lot different than the last time I saw him. Maybe happier or at ease? Either way, he still seemed mysterious, but no longer in the shadows. And I'm glad he got rid of that ostentatious garb Alice used to dress him in. Jeans and black shirts were better suited for his strong exterior, and I saw he replaced those ugly dress shoes for a pair of worn black boots. His hair is no longer being held in styling gel and is looking silky smooth and wavy around his face. So sexy.

Fuck. What is wrong with me? I couldn't stop sniffing him every time he came near. He probably thinks I have a mental problem. But I can't help it, he smells like honey and cinnamon. I remember hearing somewhere that the combination was a healing remedy. I snorted at that last thought as I jumped in the shower.

When I was done, I towel dried my hair, put on some yoga pants and a long sleeve shirt. I was officially K.O.-ed from work. And hungry.

Coming down the stairs, I saw Jasper standing outside so I decided to join him. Of course he'd tease me. I've always been an easy target for it. Disappointingly, we were interrupted by my grumbling tummy.

We made small talk while I was fixing some leftover chili I had made the day before. I knew he could feel that I wasn't being completely honest with him a couple of times, but we had an entire weekend in front of us. I decided to get my story organized before I said anything.

I loved Charlotte and Peter. From what I could tell, Peter may seem like a smug little bastard, but he was so happy-go-lucky, I couldn't help but to like him. He seemed like the annoying brother everyone has, but loves regardless. Charlotte appeared to be his conscience. You could see the love she had for him in her eyes when she scolded him. It would also be nice to have a girlfriend around. I don't talk much to the employees outside of work, and I couldn't tell my parents about all my problems. _Maybe she could help me with this Jasper thing?_

There was a slightly awkward silence when we were left alone, so I decided break the ice.

"So", we both said at the same time. We had a nice little laugh.

"You go first Bella, I'm sure you have some questions for me too."

I loved the way he said my name. "Okay, but you should come sit by me while we talk, I swear, I won't bite".

He walked slowly over to me and sat down. Once situated, he responded.

"You have a lot of trust and admiration for me. Are you sure you're okay with just you and me here? Remember, I'm the one who likes to bite." He snapped his teeth playfully at me as he projected feelings of mirth.

"Be careful Jasper, I like biters," I teased. As his eyes darkened slightly, I felt my cheeks flare and got up to get a wine cooler from the mini fridge I had across the room. I placed my empty bowl on the coffee table and sat back down next to Jasper, taking a long gulp from the peach flavored drink.

"So I'm assuming you didn't stay with the Cullens when Edward broke up with me. My question is why", I asked.

"Oh hell," he hesitated. "You surprised me with that question. What do you know of my past?"

"Edward told me that you were in the Civil War and you were turned at the height of your military career. That alone made you smart and tactical. With your ability, it made you a vicious opponent. He was always hesitant to talk about you and would get upset or changed the subject if I asked about you. What I gather from seeing you tonight and meeting Pete and Char, you three were involved in something big. They call you Major and you guys have the markings of vampire bites."

He dropped his head when I mentioned the bites. A feeling of shame washed over me and I realized he was projecting his feelings.

"Oh, I'm sorry I said anything. It's just the one on my wrist. I-I-I know my scar so well, I could identify what I was seeing on the three of you. Uh, shit, I shouldn't have mentioned the sca-,"I was beginning to apologize when he cut me off.

"It's not the scars," he interrupted, looking back at me in the eyes. "It is certainly not the scars. My past has made me who I am today, and these are the markin's that prove my survival. My feelin's are about how ruthless and cold I was at one point, the killin' machine I turned out to be. There's a reason why the Cullens were a relief for me. After nearly a hundred years of war and violence, huntin' became too much for me when I needed sustenance, and could feel my prey's dyin' emotions. I needed a new direction.

"I was close to seventeen when I joined the Confederacy. My family was affluent in our small town outside of Houston, Texas. We owned people, and treated them like so. As horrible as the thought may be, you need to realize that my upbringin' and beliefs were much, much different compared to yours. We had just gotten news about my older brother who was off fightin' in the war, while I was stuck at home on our plantation with a father that did not see eye to eye with me, an alcoholic mother, and a young sister. My brother had been killed and in her grief, my mother drank herself to catatonia. Imagine my astonishment when my father told me I needed to start taking on more responsibility when it came to home duties and household affairs. I didn't want that life. In an act of rebellion, I signed up for the war. His disappointment in me as a son with no aspirations became more-so when he discovered what I'd done.

"I decided to _make_ him become proud of me. As a human, I was charismatic while leadin' people. They listened to me. In three years, I rose up in ranks until I became a Major. I often wrote my family and told them of my accomplishments. The last time I went home for a visit, my father and mother threw a small party for me. Towards the end of the night, my father approached me with a flask of whiskey and we sat on our lake's edge. He clasped my shoulder, and he didn't need to tell me of his pride. I won."

I laid my hand on his and gave him a squeeze. He was so far gone in his story, his speech pattern had returned to an old fashioned southern accent that people no longer used. It was charming. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze in return, followed by a small, sad smile.

"It had seemed my mother was recoverin' on that last visit home but she was very ill. She died nearly two months later, but I didn't gain knowledge of it until years later. Nearly three weeks after I left home for the last time, I was on a return trip after evacuatin' the women and children just outside of Galveston, Texas where there was a slight skirmish. While travelin', I spotted three ethereal women, with beauty and fair skin like I'd never seen. I asked if they needed my help but got no response. They appeared to be talkin' about me, although I couldn't hear them. Their assessment and gestures told all I needed to know. Finally, the one whom later I learned to be named Maria spoke to me, askin' my name. So I told her. The three women started to unnerve me. I could tell they were unnatural. At that point I had already dismounted my horse to assist because he became slightly spooked. It should have been a warnin' but I for once didn't listen to my soldier instincts. After all, they were just petite ladies. I turned around to calm him when I felt the overwhelmin' pain in my shoulder. The piercin' torture began to spread like fire, scorchin' every cell and nerve in my body. Three days later, I became somethin' I thought were of nightmares".

In a detached, almost cold voice, he told the history of the Southern Vampire Wars, newborn armies, why they had the constant war in the south, and what they fought for. Feeding grounds and larger territories. He had killed men and women of his kind to survive Hell on Earth. Many feared and respected him as the Major. He explained the persona as a kind of split personality. All vampires have a demon, but he had let his go free for so long, he knew it as a part of him. Most vampires tamed the wild beast inside of them, or pretend it wasn't there after experiencing it the first time.

He often despised the aftermath of the Major side of his persona. Though he is aware of what's going on, once in a while it feels like an out-of-body experience, and carnage and slaughter is the result of being so far gone in his demon. These moments have been donned 'The Wraith of Whitlock'. He became a favorite of Maria's collection and was rewarded for his battle accomplishments with sexual gratification and gluttonous feeding. In the beginning he held a high reverence for Maria and worshipped the ground she walked on. It may have had to do with her natural allure and strength. After many years with her, his love for her dwindled to a grudging respect, especially in the last days.

He spoke fondly of a know-it-all man he changed in the 1920's who was cocky, told the lamest jokes, and seemed to get under his skin. "Back then, Peter was less annoying than he is now. I wanted to kill him often for his smart mouth, but we had a strong bond. Brothers in arms. He was the balm I needed, and in return, I saved his life. He eventually weaseled his way up to becomin' my second in command and one day after ten years, his behavior had led me to monitor his emotions. He began to reveal emotions of heavy longin' and deep adorat-." He cut himself off, barked a laugh and said something under his breath, shaking his head with a stunned smile on his face, in turn puzzling me.

"Any way", he continued after a moment, "He really adored her. I caught him gazin' at a then newborn Charlotte across the trainin' yard, who was a ferocious combatant. I didn't know what to do with this. Mated pairs were not allowed in our army, but I ignored it because of my bond to Peter. It was almost a year later when Pete finally approached me. He was unsure, nervous. I nearly rejoiced in his uncertainty, because it was a rarity. But his pained eyes and grim face made me stop. I'd never seen his jovial demeanor shatter. First he flooded me with emotions of love deeper than most could grasp, and terror of the unknown. I had to catch my unneeded breath and I staggered from the strength and depth of his emotions. He then stated, 'This is what it's like to watch _The One_ go into a fight and not know the outcome. If you could choose between your _Life_ or a constant unnecessary war, which one would you choose, brother?' With that he walked away.

"Weeks later Charlotte was on the culling block, and I was the one assigned for the task when each newborn's year was up. She was still that superior fighter, but she had no other skills that Maria needed. Char was essentially the last woman alive aside from Maria in our army, but her time was up. Usually I culled one by one in a line. There were three others with her who were shakin' in fear, cryin' and whimperin'. Not Charlotte. She was brave and held her chin high in self-pride and showed no fear. I respected her before but that sealed the deal. I wasn't plannin' on killin' her in the first place, I may have taken out the others first and told her to hide until later. I knocked the first three newborns out. As they fell, Pete busted in snarlin', his rage and desperation pourin' off of him and into me. I whispered to him to take her and leave, run. In return he said, 'We will be here for you, my brother, on a day when the evenin' sky is red and the moon is round.' Then they were gone.

My eyes prickled with tears, and I let out a soft sob. That story touched me. Jasper wrapped an arm around me and I melted into him as he held me, stroking my hair. I could hear the smile in his voice when he continued.

"Maria was not pleased I let the two of them go, but she understood my reasonin', after I bombarded her with the emotions Peter had for his mate. She'd never felt somethin' like that and it made her envious. Her time as a warlord was coming to an end. During my last five years, we lessened the amount of newborns we created. The older ones were granted permission to leave. Some left rich men, while some challenged us and were killed. A treaty was signed between the 3 remainin' southern warlords. They were ready for a time of peace. The land would be shared, but with stipulations. Main territories, or rather home-bases, were not shared. Maria was able to keep her Monterrey.

"It had been five years, eight days, and six hours since I last saw Peter and I longed for his companionship. On this particular evenin', I was runnin' through a forested area on the northern outskirts of our territory in Monterrey, Mexico. At the edge of the forest, I came to a clearin' and smelled them before I saw them. The sky was streaked red and the rising moon was full. I knew they were finally takin' me home. We traveled all across the states. I had seen changes in the world before, but never knew the advantages. I drove a car for the first time, though it was an unnecessary luxury for my kind. Television and theatre was an entirely new concept to wrap my mind around, and refrigerators astonished me.

"But with all the change in the world around me, I still had an inner conflict and wanted to somehow atone for my past. It was hard for me to feed, with feelin' the helplessness of my innocent victims. It was a rainy day in Philadelphia when I met Alice. The week before, Peter told me that I would meet a girl that would lead me to my destiny. I thought he was full of shit but I used his advice and took a slight hiatus from my family. It was pourin' rain outside, I hadn't fed in almost a month, and I needed to seek shelter. As I walked in a small diner, I had immediate bloodlust. I had to grit my teeth and hold my breath, but I smelled another vampire. I instantly put my guard up when I sat at a table, closest to the entrance. She came over and had the oddest color eyes. Alice told me that I had kept her waitin' for a long time. I didn't know what to say but to apologize to the strange creature. Her emotions were lively and hopeful, and she didn't seem like she had ulterior motives at the time. She sat across from me and studied me while I waited for the rain to slow. I kept going over Peter's words from the week before. Was this it? I felt Alice's uncertainty and annoyance before she said 'This isn't how it was supposed to happen.' The rubbin' of her temples is what had my attention. As far as I knew, vampires couldn't get headaches, so out of curiosity I asked about the problem.

"Alice was a seer and apparently I was supposed to follow her to a coven of animal drinkin' vampires. We were mates and destined to fall in love. She was angry that something in her visions weren't right. I told her I could help her, but being her mate and bein' in love was impossible because my brother and sister were a mated pair and I felt no pull to her or none of the instinctual protectiveness. I also told her accordin' to my brother who was never wrong with his clairvoyance, she might be the one leadin' me to my destiny. She seemed hesitant at first, until her eyes glazed over. When Alice came back around she was distraught but stated that if I didn't follow her, I'd never know my destiny. So we traveled together, and the little pygmy grew on me. I didn't love her, but I slowly grew to care for her. We showed up at the Cullen's home in Ithaca, New York and I followed her blindly for years. The animal diet took the edge of thirst off of me but lessened my gift's effectiveness. It was what I needed at the time. But there were things that unnerved me, things that made me feel weak. I didn't like how manipulative she was, or how inferior she made me feel. Alice teamed up with Eddie-boy, and with the two of them together, I became the target of ridicule, judgment, and distrust."

He stopped talking for the moment and I began to feel waves of rage, humility, and guilt. From then on, it was a roller-coaster of chaotic emotions.

"Hey Jasper, you okay?"

Slowly, Jasper turned to look at me with furious black eyes, his nose was flared as he bore his teeth, a growl was building up in his chest. His breathing picked up, and his fluctuating emotions began to feel like a whirlpool. He looked like a true vampire, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't scare the shit out of me. My phone started going off upstairs as my head started to spin. I tried to get up but it was like there was a weight on top of me, preventing me from moving. I tried to speak but couldn't get anything out. I tasted blood, draining down my throat and felt a warm wetness trickling out of my nose to my mouth.

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><p>Hehe, cliffhanger. Don't murder me yet. Bella's turn is coming very very soon. I promise to update in the next day.<p>

What was your opinion on Jasper's background? Maria does become a part of this story, but you'll have to wait awhile until we meet her.

Thanks for reading, and please review.


	5. Chapter Five

**Yay! A new chapter!**

**Thank you to everyone that reviewed and put me on alerts and faves. That was a pleasant surprise. I'm sorry I couldn't get back at the people who left reviews. I've had a very busy week. I'm only going to be updating the story twice a week. These chapters are taking forever to get down and I'm constantly being sought after by loved ones.**

**Speaking of updates, I had a small one the other day. I just fixed a couple holes in the plot like in Chapter One, I referred to Alice by her being Jasper's ex-wife. I fixed it to them not ever being married, her throwing a temper tantrum over his leaving, and probably one more thing. You'll have to re-read his section of the chapter. It's much, much better and doesn't sound like I rushed. The climax and outcome of the story will make much better sense when we cross that bridge. Nothing else was changed about the other chapters though.**

**Once again, Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and the Characters. Well the cat is mine…**

**WARNING: This story is rated M for language, offensive behavior, and adult situations. **

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><p><strong>BELLA<strong>

I heard a crash coming from upstairs, followed by a bellowing roar from Jasper. When I opened my eyes again, though my blurry vision he was crouched protectively in front of me to fend off our attackers, a constant low growl rumbling in his chest. I turned my head toward the staircase as Peter walked slowly downstairs with his hands raised, and his head bowed. I could make out Charlotte at the top of the stairs using the same gesture Peter was.

"Easy there, Major, it's just-," he was cut off by Jasper's guttural roar of rage. I could feel his confusion radiating off of him and was relieved when the cyclone-like atmosphere lessened.

By this time, I was able to sit up again. Jasper looked at me with pitch black eyes, no whites to be found, and venom was hanging loosely from his mouth. I began to laugh hysterically, tears rolling down my cheeks, blood on my face from my nose-bleed, and my face felt like it was on fire. He furrowed his brow at me and cocked his head. I laughed harder at the thought of a ferocious dog doing the same.

As manic laughter escaped me, the sensation of needing to relieve myself threatened to overwhelm me in its urgency. I tried to scurry off to the bathroom but Jasper grunted at my fleeing body. Behind me I could hear the low murmuring of the two vampires in the room having a conversation, followed by a low growl and snort from Jasper. He caught up with me before I could make two steps and picked me up. As he held me to him, my laughter died and I froze as I heard a familiar deep purring sound resonate through him, in which I've only heard from two other vampires. _Holy shit, I hope they don't have Jasper's head when they find out!_ When he started to softly lick the blood off my face, I couldn't help but calm down and be a little turned on, even though I would have normally felt repulsed. I sneezed as his tongue entered my nostril, and he jumped in surprise.

I must have startled him out of his demon because he started to blink his eyes rapidly, and his loud purring came to an abrupt halt.

"What the fuck just happened?" Jasper squawked with a horrified expression on his face, as he stared down at me. Comprehension dawned in his eyes, while they filled with venom tears. He violently trembled as he dumped me on the couch. With one last sad look into my eyes, he sped away, slamming the front door as he left.

**Jasper**

So here I am sitting against a rotted log in the middle of the forest three miles away from Bella. I took in a deep sigh, though unneeded, but cleansing in its own way. I'm definitely uneasy how I let my demon known in front of Bella, but in a way I'm relieved. I didn't hurt her and I found out that she's my mate. I let out a snort.

While I was telling her about my early years and the way Pete was around Char when she was a newborn, it struck a familiar chord in me. Pete's behavior then was how I was now with Bella. I had laughed it off at first thinking aloud that it couldn't possibly be fucking true. I had always been drawn to her in a way but I figured it was just her emotions. We were only left alone in each other's presence once when we were hiding her from the tracker. I had wanted to just eliminate them to start out with, but the ever diplomatic Carlisle Cullen tried to be peaceful about a non-negotiable situation and he was after all the coven leader.

I'm not surprised that I never learned of Bella being my mate. We were constantly separated and we never had skin-to-skin contact. In the beginning I wanted to smother her in her sleep or snap her neck, before she was introduced. However, after meeting her, I found her tranquil and stunning, if not a little young. She was mature for her age, but had a naïveté that was both maddening and endearing. I became protective of her but could never see her as a sister. It never felt right. And now I knew why.

Twenty minutes later I heard a snap of a branch. I immediately stiffened and turned my head in its direction. I scented the air and relaxed when I smelled the cat. He came up to me purring while nuzzling my leg. I lifted him to cradle in my lap and gently stroked his wild fur. Moments later I smelled my brother in the vicinity but paid him no mind.

"Aww, isn't this just precious", he sang in a piss poor impression of a woman, "You're already pettin' your girls pussy. Don't waste any time do ya?"

"Shut up fucker", I growled. Baba O'Riley hissed at Peter and ran away in the direction of the house.

Pete looked at me and grinned, no mischievousness in his emotions.

"So you finally figured it out Major", he said, suddenly smug. Ah, that's the guy I know.

With a sigh I pushed my hair out of my face and my posture slumped. "Yeah I did, I'm just trying to reason with myself. She never should have been put in such a precarious situation. I was reckless with my demon and snapped. How is she?"

"Well, she seems to have a small idea of what happened. How? I don't know. She's keeping something secret and I have to wait like everyone else to find out. By the way, Cupcake's a little miffed at the moment with how you just threw her and ran away. Last I checked, she and the missus were talking about flowers or some shit. If you hurry now, you might catch her before she turns in for the night."

I got up and dusted the dirt off of my clothes, staying hunched over with my hands on my knees for a minute to get my thoughts together. When I straightened back up Pete clapped me on my back and I punched him in the gut in return. I sprinted to the house with him trailing behind, shouting expletives at me.

I found Bella and Char sitting in the living room of the main floor talking about adding on a green house or a gazebo to Bella's property. "The thing is, while I like gardening, I think that building a gazebo is a bit more practical for when I have visitors. I already have my hands full with maintaining the landscaping on this property. Adding in a gazebo would allow a little more ambience for visitors", Bella said with a shrug and Char hummed in agreement.

I superfluously cleared my throat to indicate my presence. While Char knew I was there, Bella didn't so she tensed before looking in my direction. The comfortable emotional atmosphere changed suddenly as I expected it to, so I sent out a calming wave. Bella frowned in annoyance of my manipulation.

Char looked at me with a twinkle in her eyes as she grabbed Bella's hand into hers. She looked back at my mate and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm gonna go and meet back up with my husband while you two sort this out. We'll finish our hunt next evenin'."

"Alright Charlotte, I'll see you sometime in the afternoon. G'night."

The two stood up and met with a loving embrace. I'm happy that Char got a new friend. I was slightly surprised at how much familial love they already shared with one another. But then again, Bella's always had a way about her when it came to the 'supernatural'.

After Char had left, Bella looked at me and was hesitant to say something. I raised an eyebrow at her in question. With a roll of her eyes and a resigned huff, she finally broke the tension.

"So, are you finished brooding yet?" At her pause I nodded my head. "Good because I won't let you apologize where it's unwarranted-"

"But-"

"No, let me finish, because in case you failed to notice, I'm human and it's like 2 hours passed my usual bedtime, I'm tired as fuck, and I need to be thinking through a few things. I'd rather not stay up longer than necessary." I gave her the motion to continue, a bit astounded that she already had this much control of me. "I understand the seriousness of what went on downstairs, trust me, I was beyond terrified." I removed my eyes from hers and looked at the floor, ashamed.

"Jasper, look at me."

Her voice was soft and her emotions went from slightly defensive to gentle waves of sincerity. I looked back up with her to be greeted with a soft smile. I gave one back in return.

"I might have affected your emotions. I was already on edge tonight as far as excitement goes but we were having a pretty sensitive conversation. I really, _really _didn't like how Edward and Alice treated you. It absolutely disgusts me at how well I was easily manipulated by them, and to just hear about them from you in a way shocked me, but at the same time, I was seething. You just naturally fed off of my anger, and I could tell you were pretty agitated to begin with. It's very similar to how that birthday party panned out, minus the nosebleed. Which by the way, you owe me a new set of pajamas."

I looked at her outfit and noticed she had already changed into a new white tank top, while her pants were a pair of black lounge pants with white polka dots. Although her current attire was adorable, I still made a note to get some more of those body-hugging yoga pants she was wearing before. It's a good thing my shirt is covering the bulge in my pants.

"I'm really sorry about that Bella. I've been told my emotions can be a bit smothering when I get like that."

"Ya' think," she scoffed in faux irritation. I gave her an indulgent pout. In return she gave a soft giggle. "You're forgiven for that. Let's try not to do that too much while I'm still human."

_While she's still human?_

"Shit," she hissed, giving herself a slap on the forehead, followed by a groan.

_She either caught her slip or I spoke out loud. _

"Jasper, what I just said will be explained tomorrow, we really don't have much time for that. I need to go to bed, I can hear the birds beginning to chirp."

I agreed. While it was still dark outside, there was a pre-dawn glow in the sky. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was already 5 in the morning. Bella walked to me and put her arms around my waist, taking in a deep breath of my scent. I returned the sentiment and greedily drank in that magnolia and sunshine smell that's unique to her and placed a soft kiss on her head. I felt she was anxious about something so I gave her an emotional nudge.

In a quiet voice that was unlike her new confident personality she asked, "You'll still be here when I wake up, right"?

I smoothed the loose tendrils around her neck and responded that I couldn't leave now if I tried.

She looked into my eyes searching for my honesty. She must have found it because she reached up and gave me a whisper soft kiss on the cheek that left tingles on my skin. I grinned goofily and touched my face where she kissed me as she went to her room. I heard her doing a nightly routine, followed by the buzz of a television in her room. I could hear the rustling of blankets as she settled on a real life crime documentary. I settled for a book I saw earlier in her study and read quietly until her breathing evened out and her erratic emotions calmed.

I was a little halfway through the book I chose, which is about automatons and proletarian revolution (_The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia_) and was happy about my choosing. It wasn't typically something I would read but I've always found the whimsicality and quirkiness of Steampunk fascinating. I felt anxiety creep into me from Bella, followed by dread and confusion. _She must be dreaming_. I set my book aside and went to her room to check on her. When I opened the door, I didn't know what to expect her room to look like. The colors like the rest of her house were neutral which match the open, light and airy feel of the space. Its cathedral ceilings were tall and the windows oversized.

I found Bella in her bed, writhing and sweaty and thought it was disturbingly erotic. She was still panicking but her heart rate was increasing. I knelt at the side of the bed she was sleeping on and sent her soothing waves of tranquility as I touched her face. She flinched but then relaxed into my hand, quickly falling back into a peaceful slumber. Her light snoring made me chuckle. _Shoot, still projecting_. As I left, I heard her breath my name and I smiled to myself. I decided to retrieve my book, as well as the first couple books of the Game of Thrones and sit at the chair closest to the window and read until she woke up.

Around 2 in the afternoon, Bella roused from her sleep, groggy and a little confused. She slowly rolled out of bed with her pant legs bunched up. When she came back from doing a typical morning humdrum, she jumped nearly a foot of the floor when she finally noticed my presence.

"Mornin' sunshine, sleep well?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Jesus, you scared the shit out of me! Why are you in here anyway?"

"You were having a bad dream so when I came to check on you, I decided to stay in here to keep you calm. Is that alright?"

"Thank you, yeah that's fine," she paused for a moment and when I raised my eyebrows at her she continued, embarrassment and slight disgust coloring her tone. "So, what did you do the entire time? You weren't watching me sleep were you?"

I chuckled, knowing where she was coming from. "No, darlin'", I pointed out the stack of books on the end table next to me, "I did some light reading. You have a nice collection by the way."

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Good, the sleep stalking is pretty creepy. Soooo, I didn't say anything in my dream, did I? I don't remember what it was about." She slowly walked over to her bed, sat down and faced me.

"You were just, I don't know how to put it, you seemed lost, unaware, frightened. You didn't say anything to indicate what you were dreaming about though. However, a couple hours ago you were telling someone to come to bed," I finished, wiggling my eyebrows in an Emmett-like way. In truth, she didn't mention any names and it made me jealous.

Bella threw a pillow at me but I swatted it, accidentally letting it hit the lamp on the end table, sending it crashing to the floor.

"God, Jasper! What the hell? Aren't you supposed to be able to catch that?"

"Sorry, Miss Grumps, I'll just replace it or you."

"Hmmph".

We went downstairs to the kitchen eventually so that Bella could get something to eat. She didn't find much but some cereal; in addition she cut up some celery sticks and put them in a small container, along with a little peanut butter on the side, and placed the container in the fridge.

While she sat at the kitchen counter, she twirled her soggy cereal around the milk in her bowl. "How would you like to go for a hike? We can finish our conversation when we get to the end of the trail. I know a good spot where you don't have to worry about exposure."

"Yeah that sounds relaxing." It did, I loved the clean air around her home and living in the city with all the chemicals and scents gets old fast.

"Good. After I finish eating, I'll go get ready and we can head out. Where's Char and Peter?"

"Oh, they called while you were asleep and said they're staying in Denver. They're expecting company that's passing through. I don't know who it is though."

Thirty minutes later Bella came downstairs in a tiny pair of jean shorts, a green tank top, a brown light zip up, and some trendy pink hiking boots. Her hair was set in a French braid with a pair of red sunglasses perched on the top of her head. In her hand, she was carrying a small pink and grey daypack, which she placed the container storing the celery and peanut butter, along with a large Nalgene bottle filled with fresh water. I noticed some composition notebooks were already inside and wondered what that was all about.

It was a beautiful day, unclouded with a slight breeze. In the back of the property was a trailhead that reminded me of the stone steps at Letchworth State park in New York. We followed up the stairs at a brisk pace, for a human.

"Was this trail already here when you bought this property", I asked.

"Nope. My dad and his wife actually did this after we checked out the property and started building", she responded with amusement.

"What'd they do? Come through with a bulldozer and construction crew?" It was a really nice path. At the top of the stone steps was a forest pond we had to cross on a stone walking bridge, followed by a wide inclined dirt path that was fenced off from the woods.

"Nah, Charlie was entering a new phase in life and needed a new project." She spoke fondly but was intentionally leaving something out, however, I minded her.

We were a mile into the hike, making small talk whenever Bella was able to catch her breath. She began to sing the first lines of To Arms in Dixie; surprised, I joined her.

"_Advance the flag of Dixie!_

_Hurrah! Hurrah!_

_For Dixie's land we take our stand,_

_And live or die for Dixie!_

_To arms! To arms!_

_And conquer peace for Dixie!_

_To arms! To arms!_

_And conquer peace for Dixie!"_

When we finished the song, Bella's face was flushed from laughing and panting. She had taken off her sweater a while back and tied it around her waist. We decided to stop and take a water break. She took off her backpack to set it to the side, and untied her sweater to use as a cushion while she sat down. I retrieved the water out of her backpack and handed it to her. After thanking me she grabbed the bottle from me and took measured drinks. Her heart beat was still accelerated, but relaxing.

"Where'd you hear that song?"

"Oh, come on, it's not entirely uncommon. Actually, my mom's husband's family is from Fort Worth, Texas but they moved up to Lubbock before Phil was born. His grand-father apparently used to sing him old Confederacy songs and he idolized the idea as a child." I nodded my head in understanding. As a former American Civil War soldier I often remember my glory days and for generations, families entertained children with heroic battle tales.

We stayed for a few more minutes until Bella packed her sweater and Nalgene. After another mile, the dirt path turned into a wooden walkway with steps going up. The forestry started to thin out and the terrain gradually became rocky. I watched Bella move up the steps in front of me, her ass swaying hypnotically. We continued nearly five more minutes until we reached a free-standing covered patio including a rectangular built-in redwood table along with matching detached seating in the middle.

Bella sat down with a thud, throwing her daypack on the table. She folded her arms and laid her head down on them with a groan. I couldn't help but chuckle at her humanity.

"Shut up."

This only made me laugh again as I sat on the bench next to her. She peaked open an eye at me when she heard me unzip her bag to get the bottle of water again.

"You can take the rest of the stuff out if you want," Bella said as she sat up. I complied with her wishes, pulling out the plastic container and four composition notebooks. I sat the notebooks on the table between us and handed her the celery with peanut butter. She took it and placed it on top of the bag.

We sat there in awkward silence for a couple of minutes.

"Aren't you curious Jasper?"

"Terribly."

She pushed the notebooks in front of me and said, "Read; if you find something significant, ask me anything."

(**Author note: I was going to end the chapter here, but I said, 'Oh what the hell.' We are about to enter Bella's journals. The timeline in S.M.'s first Twilight novel is in 2005, according to Twilight Lexicon, so my fanfic is set 3 years after Bella's 18****th**** birthday, in the year 2008. I may or may not have some commercial products or trends that aren't made or popular yet. But it's my fanfic, and I can do what I want, ha!) **

_**November 6th 2005**_

_Renee says I should keep a journal. It's apparently therapeutic. We'll see._

_**November 10**__**th**__** 2005**_

_If you see this Alice, I hope you know that I'm planning on burning the purses and shoes you got me this summer. Then I might turn all those $100 jeans into frilled cut-off capris and graffiti the fabric._

_Suck on that!_

_**November 19**__**th**__** 2005**_

_I checked the mail yesterday and stumbled upon a thick envelope with no return-address. I knew for a fact I haven't applied to any colleges or loans lately so imagine my surprise when I opened it up and found a letter to me by none other than J. That's what he'll call him. I can't believe he's been around for all this time. I don't know whether to be angry he didn't show himself to me or grateful and touched he cared enough. He still believes I'm worth it. It's kind of hard to right now because of what happened a couple months ago, but I've never blamed him. Maybe one day I'll be able to tell him why._

_The extra thing he left might come in useful someday._

_On a side-note, someone needs to call animal control. I've been hearing dogs howling._

…_**..**_

_**December 18**__**th**__** 2005 **_

_Dad is inviting someone, a woman, over for Christmas dinner! He's been seeing her for a little over a month now. No wonder he looks happier than I've ever seen him. I hope she's good enough for him because he deserves all that and more with how he held onto my mom for so long. All he said was that she has red hair and brown eyes and is from Canada. _

_She doesn't have any living relatives so he invited her over for dinner with us. Well, I'm excited to meet her._

_**December 24**__**th**__** 2005**_

_Holy shit-cannons, my dad is seeing V! That was a surprise that I never expected to see. At first I was frightened. I nearly had a heart attack. I mean, last time I saw her she was helping that psycho kill me. The brown contacts look funny though. For now I'm going to stay guarded around her until I feel comfortable. She seems genuine enough and she hasn't looked at me like she wants to crush my skull. Yet…_

"Holy Fuck? Bella! Is that-Is that VicTORIAAA?", I nearly screeched.

She smiled sheepishly, shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "Yeah, good ole Vicky, but don't ever let her hear you call her that. Laurent's mate Irina learned the hard way when she once called her Icky Vicky. Ripped her pinky off and kept it for a month."

I couldn't wrap my mind around it. Shocked was not a word I could use to describe this. I continued reading, completely flabbergasted.

_**December 26**__**th**__** 2005**_

_I'm very worried about dad. I'm still not sure about V, but she invited me out for lunch tomorrow. I'm going definitely, but cautiously. I'm not completely worried about the physical harm she could do to me, but the only way she can hurt me is by harming my parents. I think she may know this. If she wanted to, she would have done it already._

_**December 27**__**th**__** 2005**_

_We talked at the park while I ate my lunch. It was cold so I had some soup. She was hesitant at first and I suppose I was too with the current situation. She apologized for her involvement with what happened with the psycho guy. He was paying her and L for the help they provided. She had no idea it would have gotten so far, but she needed work somehow. When she found out he was killed, she was hardly upset. He had taken the hunt and challenge entirely too far. She wasn't broke by any means and only knew each other for a short period of time. V and L met in Canada years ago and stayed in contact throughout the years. They met psycho guy a couple decades back hunting down the same people. They exchanged information in case they wanted to do a job together._

_After his death, she went south for an extended vacation, while L went up north and found his 'soul mate'. It wasn't until the beginning of November that V's curiosity about me was growing more and more each day. Why was I involved in the world she lived in? She met my father unexpectedly and was drawn to him like no other. She fell in love with him and is scared to tell him of her nature. She was planning on it soon. I fully intended on being there._

_I'm beginning to trust V, I look forward to learning more about her long life._

_**January 2nd 2006**_

_It's a new year already, but things aren't looking good. Things didn't work out as planned. FUCK! V came over while Dad was watching the game. We were gonna finally have the dreaded conversation with him. I ordered a pizza and it was on its way. He took news on a full tummy anyway. I had just sat a beer down in front of him when V froze up and was trying to get up and leave. But the door burst open and 2 furiously shaking people raced in. J.B. and S.U... I yelled at them to get the hell out, my dad grabbed for his shotgun and cocked it in their direction, but they were looking at V. They were there for her. But I didn't know why until they became huge friggen mongrels._

_She tried running and dodging them but they grew annoyed at her attempts. Dad was in the middle of a panic attack and all I could do was scream for them to stop! V. kicked one into the other but they got tangled up in one another and ended up crushing dad. They turned back to their original forms, albeit, naked, after getting hurt. I yelled at V. to take him to somewhere safe after I heard his wet coughing and saw his brutalized body. She jumped over J.B. and S.U., picked up Dad and ran. All I could hear was the sound of more howling in the distance. _

_When the two naked men became alert enough to talk, I grabbed Dad's shotgun and pointed it at them. Told them to talk. Apparently what I had seen only happened when a member of the enemy clan was around. I knew that because J.B. had already hinted that to me the previous spring when I was curious about a certain family. They were trying to get rid of V. so she couldn't harm us. They were trying to protect us. But they nearly killed Dad! I fired off a warning shot for them to get the fuck out. But they were trying to get me to tell them where the red-head took my dad. _

_I told them they were idiots and that Dad and V. were in love and were each other's soulmates. The retarded mangy mutts didn't believe her kind could love or had souls. They only wanted one thing out of their lives. I re-cocked my gun and shot another fire. I heard someone outside so I pointed the weapon at the front door, never taking my eyes off the two men that were trembling, not in rage, but this time in fear. _

_It was B.B…He was the peace comity being pushed around on wheels by H.C…Two of my dad's oldest friends. I explained the situation to them, and they looked beyond miserable at what just transpired only ten minutes before. J.B. became angry again and it was suddenly my fault that all this happened. HOW DARE HIM! Especially since he probably killed my dad! B.B. and H.C. became enraged at J.B. and S.U…Said they were irresponsible and jumping the gun like the way they did only endangers innocent lives. _

_S.U. got a call from someone and whenever he hung up his face was grave and he shook his head, looking at me with sad eyes. Of course I thought the wrong thing immediately and pointed the shot-gun at him, coming a hair close to squeezing the trigger. J.B. had the decency to speak up, telling me that the trail went cold. I told them that it was their responsibility to make an appropriate cover story for the disappearance of my dad. I was leaving town when I could make the appropriate arrangements. I guess they figured out I was going to try to search for Dad and V. and insisted I come live on the reservation. Not fucking likely._

_So here I am sitting in a hotel room in downtown Seattle. I decided to talk to the man that J. referred me to months ago in the letter he left. I still have no fucking clue to what happened to Dad and V._

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><p><strong>The Cliffhanger!Thanks for reading. Seemed like it took forever to write. Thoughts? <strong>


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